Charles i



(Nb Model.) 3;Sheets Sheet 1. C I EARLL CABLE RAILWAY.

No. 536,611. Patent-ed Apr. 2,1895.

N ERN Inventor.- aha 1165* IZarZZ.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I (No Model.)

0. I. EARLL. CABLE RAILWAY.

Patented Apr. 2, 1895.

Wz' in eases (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

O. I. EARLL. CABLE RAILWAY.

Patented Apr. 2, 189 5.

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NITET) STATES PATENT Enron.

CHARLES l. EARLL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CABLE RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 536,61 1, dated April2, 1895. Application filed June 18, I894. Serial No- 514,830. (No model.)

To all I whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES I. EARLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York,

in the county of New York and State of New- York, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Cable Railways, of which the following is-a specification,

This invention relates to cable-railways ;-the object of my present invention being to provide in connection with the track-structure and cable of a cable-railway, simple and effective mechanism or apparatus for automatically shifting a cable from a point below the path of movement of the cable-car grip to-a point in alignment with the path of movement of and in position who automatically engaged by said grip, thus enabling the cable to be automatically placed in the grip while in motion should said grip approachor come adjacent to said apparatus without the cable therein; also to so construct andorganize said apparatus as to permit the free passage of the grip when carrying the cable without interference to-the movement thereof.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of a'portion of a track-structure of a cable-railway embodying my invention in the preferred form thereof, said figure showing the cable-elevating apparatus or cable-shifting-carrier as fixed against lateral movement with relation to the grip-slot of said structure, and showing the grip-slot as curved or deflected laterally adjacent to said apparatus with relation to a straight line. Fig. 2-isa vertical longitudinal section of the same taken in line a-a, Fig. 1, the cable being shown in dotted lines, and a portion of the cable-car grip being shownin the'grip-slot. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of a portion of the track-structure taken in line bb, Fig. 1, looking toward the right hand in said figure show ing in dottedlines the grip passingthe cableshifting apparatus without a cable in it. Fig. 4: is a similar cross-sectional view taken in line co, Fig. 1, looking toward the right hand in said Fig. Lshowing the grip in engagement with a cable. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of a track-structure showing the cable as supported in its normal working poshifting-mechanism for said carrier.

Similar characters designate like parts in all of the figures.

In the preferred form thereof herein shown and described, my present invention resides in the combination with the track-structure of a cable-railway having a grip-slot, and with a cable-car gripsupported for movement in said slot, of a cable-elevating or shifting apparatus comprising a peripherally-spiraled cable-shifting-carrier, or -worm, revolublysupported adjacent to the grip slot and adapted for supporting and for automatically shifting the cable from a point below the path' of travel of the grip-jaws to a point in hori zontal alignment with the path of travel of said jaws, and means for shifting the cablecar grip and the cable the one transversely of the other, all of whichwill be hereinafter more fully described.

For convenience and to avoid complication in the drawings, my'improvements are shown in connection with a system of cable-traction in which but one-cable is employed and which is known as the single-cable system, butit will be understood that by a simple duplication of some of the elements my improvements may be practically used in connection with a system of cable-traction known as the duplex system, or a system employing two cables side by side.

This invention provides means whereby, at certain pointsalo'ng the line of the trackstructure of a cable-system, the cable may be quickly and automatically placed in the cable-car grip, the only operation required of the grip being that it shall be opened just previous to its passing the points where said cable shall be taken in. The grip employed in connection with myimprovelnents may be of the usual approved form of side-grip, 2'. e., a grip which takes the cable in at the side,

and preferably one thatis attached to the car in such a way that it may have alateral movement relatively to the car.

The track-structure shown in connection with my present improvements comprises the usual track-rails, R and R, which along the line of the road except at the several pits are supported upon the usual yokes, Y. Midway of the width of the track it has the usual grip slot, S, which, except as elsewhere herein described, is parallel with the track-rails. The track-structure also has the usual conduit,D, wherein the cable, M, is supported along the line of the road by the ordinary supportingsheaves (not shown) placed and operated in the usual manner. Over the power-station pit, or over any intermediate or terminal pits, the track-structure is supported by the usual bridge-work comprising plate-girders and masonry-arches forming the roofs of the pits in a well-known manner illustrated in a general way in the cross-sectional views of the drawings.

In the drawingsl have shown two modified forms of cable-shifting apparatus embody-l ing my present invention, which apparatus, broadly, comprises a revoluble carrier, C, having cable-shifting spirals as will be hereinafter described, a cable-car grip, G, and means for shifting the cable-car grip and cable-carrier one transversely of the other.

In Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the cable-carrier is shown revolubly-supported in a fixed position, and provision is made for shifting the cable-car grip transversely of said carrier,

-whereas in Figs. 6 to 8, inclusive, the cablecar grip is shown supported to have no transverse movement and provision is made for shifting the carrier transversely of the grip.

As a means for shifting the grip transversely of the carrier, as is necessary in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the grip-slot S which is formed between the two slot-rails, 2 and 3, is shown curved laterally of the track adjacent to the cable-carrier to form the two curved portions, P and P, the one P of which is in advance of the carrier, and the one P of which is in the rear of the carrier. This form of means for shifting the cable-car grip transversely of the track structure and the operation thereof is substantially the same as the means employed in cable-roads for carrying a cable-car grip past a fixed sheave, one form of which is shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 485,380, granted to me September 15, 1893, to which reference may be had.

The cable-shifting-carrier, which constitutes a most important factor in my present invention, consists of a worm or spiraled drum revolubly carried by a shaft, 5, journaled in suitable bearings, 6 and 7, herein shown as secured to horizontal beams, 8 and 9, supported at their ends by the masonryof a pit, U, in which the cable-shifting carrier is located.

In the preferred form thereof herein shown, the carrier wheel 0 practically comprises a hub, 10, annnlarly flanged at one end to form a rim, 12, of greater diameter than said hub. Formed in the rim 12 of the carrier-wheel C is a continuous annular groove,13, concentric to the axis of said wheel and adapted for supporting the cable, designated by M, therein in its normal running position without affecting any lateral movement thereof, and formed in the hub 10 are continuous spiral grooves, 14, which near the outer end of said hub will preferably be in the same plane and concentric to the axis of the carrier-Wheel, whereas at the inner end of said hub, or that portion adjacent to the rim 12, they become eccentric to said axis and merge into the annular recess 13 in the rim 12, the eccentricity of that portion of the hub adjacent to the rim being sufficient to abruptlylift the cable from the spiraled hub-portion of the wheel to the annnlarly grooved rim-portion.

While it is preferable to employ a cableshifting-carrier of the particular construction hereinbefore described, it will be obvious that a cone-shaped spiral wheel having an annular flange in the periphery of the base thereof might be employed with good results. Therefore it is not desired to limit this invention to the particular form of wheel shown in the drawings.

In the form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5,inclusive, the spiral carrier 0 revolves about its center in a fixed position with the continuous annular groove of the rim 12 in direct vertical alignmentwith the normal path of movement of the cable M, the upper edge of the rim of said carrier being substantially in alignment and in thesame plane as the cable as shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 5, the spiral hub of said carrier having its periphery below and in vertical alignment with the path of travel of the cable-car-grip jaws, said hub-portion being located sufficiently below the said grip as to allow suflicient clearance to permit the passage of the grip without interference or contact with the carrier. The deflection of the grip-slot with relation to the normal path of movement of the cable is sufficient, at that point adjacent to the carrier, as to cause the cable-car grip, when it arrives in its travel at a point adjacent to said carrier, to be carried to one side of the rim 12 of said carrier a sufficient distance to pass the carrier without contacting therewith.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, it will be seen that the cable M as it lies in the groove 13 of the periphery of the spiral-carrier, is in the same vertical plane in which the cable runs normally in the conduit, and that the grip in passing in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2, is carried out to one side, (in this case the right hand side looking from the right hand in Fig. 1) so as to clear the rim of the carrier which extends above the bottom of the grip. In practice the groove 13 which is circular will carry the cable somewhat above the elevation in which it is carried in the grip. If the grip passes the cable-carrier with a cable in the grip, the cable is led off from the rim 12 of the carrier by being pulled outward at one side as the grip approaches said carrier. After it has passed a sufficient distance beyond the carrier the cable sags and finally drops onto the spirally-grooved hub 10 of said carrier whence it is guided by the continuous spiral laterally toward the rim and finally elevated by the eccentric portion of said spiral and carried into the continuous circular groove 13 in said rim Where it remains until again engaged by the grip. If the grip passes Without the cable but with the jaws open ready to receive it, the deflection of the grip-slot at P will carry the grip to one side of the cable allowing the grip to pass the carrier without interference with the cable, and the deflection at P, after the grip has passed the carrier, will throw said grip inward and bring the same into position for engagement with the cable with its jaws above and below said cable, as will be readily understood by reference to the several figures referred to. In practice the deflections Pand P of the grip-shifting grip-slot will be in such proximity to the cable-shifting-carrier as will enable the grip to be carried away from the cable-carrier sufficiently to prevent interference thereof with the cable just before it reaches a point adjacent to said carrier, and insure a return-movement of said'grip immediately after passing the carrier, or as soon after it has passed as is practicable, so that it may receive a cable before it reaches a point where the cable has sagged too much to allow it to be taken in by the grip.

Referring to Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive, the gripslot S is shown in parallelism with the normal running position of the cable, and the cable-carrier O, which is of the same construction as the cable-carrier hereinbefore described, is revolubly-supported for transverse movement with relation to the grip-slot and grip with the grooved rim 12 normally out of alignment with the traveling cable, the hub 10 being, in this instance, preferably in vertical alignment with said cable, means as hereinafter described being provided for shifting the cable-carrier to' bring the rim 12 thereof into alignment with the cable M. In this instance when it is desired to throw the cable M into the grip, assuming the cable to be in its normal position illustrated by dotted lines 16 in Fig. 6,the grip G will be allowed to pass the carrier and may be stopped at about the position shown in Fig. 6, when the'carrier will be moved inward to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7,

' bringing the cable M into the position shown in dotted lines in said figure and between the jaws of said grip, after which the cable-carrier will be retracted into the position shown in full lines in Figs. 6 and 7.

In the drawings, Figs. 6 to 8, inclusive, I

have shown two slightly modified forms of mechanism for shifting the cable carrier transversely of the gripslot. In the form' illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 the carrier-shaft 5 has revolubly-secured to one end thereof a collar or head, 17, to which is pivotally-connected a link, 18, which link-is pivoted at its opposite end to the lower end of a shiftinglever, 19, fulcrumed at 20, and having a key or bar-receiving head, 21, at its upper end adapted to receive the end of a bar, 22, (shown most clearly in Fig. 7) by means of which said lever is operated. In practice the opening to the pit U adjacent to the lever 19 is covered by a plate or cover, 25, which is slotted'in alignment with the upper end of the lever 19 to relink 18 by a crank-pin, 18, and having chainreceiving grooves, in one of which grooves is secured a chain, 25, having a handle at its upper end by means of which said pulley may be rotated in one direction, and in the other of which grooves is secured a chain, 26, having a weight, 27, at its free end adapted for imparting a retractive movement to said pulley. In

this instance a stop will be provided for limit- ICO ing the retractive movement of the carrier 0. V

This stop may comprise a projection, 28, upon the pulley 24 and an abutment, 29, in position for engagementwith said projection.

By the construction and organization of mechanism illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, if desired, the cable M may be Withdrawn from the grip G as it approaches, or after it has passed, the carrier 0. In the first instance by simply opening the jaws of the grip just before the grip reaches a point adjacent to the'carrier, the carrier being in its normal position illustrated in Fig. 6, and in the second instance the cable being thrown into the grip by the carrier being moved into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 7, the cable may be again withdrawn from the grip by simply opening the jaws of said grip and shifting the cable-carrier from the position shown by dotted lines to the position shown by full lines in Fig. 7.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. Ina cable-railway, the combination with the track-structure having a grip-slot, the traveling cable, and with the cable-car grip movably carried in said grip-slot,"of a revoluble peripherally-spiraled cable-shifting-carrier fixedly supported, as regards vertical movement, below and adjacent to said grip slot and adapted for shifting the cable from a point below the gable-car grip to a point in horizontal alignment therewith, and means, substantially as described for horizontallydefiecting that portion of the cable adjacent to said carrier to shift the cable, into or out from said grip, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. Ina cable-railway, the combination with the track-structure having a grip-slot and with the cable cargrip movably-carried in said slot, of a traveling cable, a cable-shiftingcarrier revolubly-supported adjacent to said slot and having one or more spiral grooves adapted for receiving and shifting the cable vertically of the path of movement of the grip and having a peripheral continuous circular groove adapted for supporting the cable in a plane coinciding with the path of movement of said grip, and means substantially as described for shifting said cable horizontally or sidewise at a point adjacent to the carrier to carry the same into and out from said grip, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a cable-railway, the combination with the trackstructure having a grip-slot, and with the grip of a cable-car of a revoluble peripherally-spiraled cable-shifting carrier fixedly supported as against vertical movement below and adjacent to said slot and adapted for shifting the cable from a point below the cable-car grip to a point in horizontal alignment therewith, and means for changing the position of the grip and cable-carrier laterally relatively to each other, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a cable-railway, the combination with the track-structurehavinga grip-slot and with a grip movably carried in said slot,0f a traveling cable, a revoluble cable-shifting carrier fixedly supported as against vertical movement below said slot and having spiral grooves in different planes adapted for engaging and automatically lifting the cable from a point below the path of movement of the grip to a point in horizontal alignment with said path of movement, and means for changing the position of the grip and cable-carrier laterally relatively to each other, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a cable-railway, the combination with the track-structure having a grip-slot and with the cable-car grip supported for movement in said slot, of a cable-shifting-carrier revolublysupported below and havinga peripherally spiraled portion in vertical alignment with said slot and having a continuous circular grooved portion normally at one side of said slot, a cable normally carried in the continuous circular grooved portion of said carrier, and means substantially as described, for changing the position of the grip and cablecarrier laterally relatively to each other, to carry the cable into and remove the same from the cable-car grip during the traveling movement thereof, substantially as described.

6. In a cable-railway, the combination with the track-structure having a grip-slot and with the grip of a cable-car of a cable-'shifting-carrier revolubly supported upon a fixed axis below and in vertical alignment with the gripthe cable,lifting the same from a point below the path of movement of the grip to a point in horizontal alignment therewith, and for supporting said cable in horizontal parallelism with the path of travel of said grip, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a cable-railway, the combination with the track-structure having a grip-slot, and with the grip of a cable-car, of a cable-shifting carrier revolubly supported upon a fixed axis below and in vertical alignment with the grip-slot and comprising the concentric spirally-grooved hub-portion; the concentric rimportion of greater diameter than the hub-portion and having a continuous circular groove formed therein, and the eccentric portion intermediate to the rim and hub portions and having a groove in continuation of the groove of the hub-portion which merges into the groove in the rim-portion, and adapted for engaging the cable, lifting the same from a point below the path of movement of the grip to a point in horizontal alignment therewith, for supporting said cable in horizontal parallelism with the path of travel of said grip, and means for horizontally deflecting that portion of the cable adjacent to said cable-carrier, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a cable-railway, the combination with the track-structure having a grip-slot and with a cable-car grip supported for movement in said grip-slot, of a revoluble peripherallyspiraled cable-carrier fixedly supported as against vertical movement adjacent to said grip-slot and adapted for horizontal movement transversely of said slot, and shifting mechanism for said cable-carrier consisting of levers in connection with and adapted for shifting the cable-carrier together with the cable supported thereon into and out from the cable-car grip, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a cable-railway, the combination with the track-structure having a grip-slot and with a cable-car grip supported for movement in said slot, of a revoluble cable-shifting-carrier fixedly supported as against vertical movement upon a longitudinally movable shaft below and adjacent to said grip-slot and having peripheral spiral grooves in difierent planes adapted for engaging the cable and lifting the same from a point below the grip and a retracting device in position and adapt to a point at one side of and in alignment with ed for retracting the carrier, substantially as IO said grip, and shifting mechanism for said described and for the purpose set forth.

carrier consistingof a link pivotally connected with said shaft, a lever connected with said CHARLES EARLL' link and adapted for imparting a longitudinal Witnesses:

movement to said shaft to shift the cable-car- FRANCIS H. RICHARDS,

rier horizontally and transversely of said slot, FRED. J. DOLE. 

